A Whole New Kind of Trouble
by xbamxheartagramx
Summary: *UPDATED* What if Shepard's cybernetics altered her to fit her lifestyle? What if her lifestyle included Garrus? M for language and and some sexuality. I'm going to categorize this as AU because I ignore a lot of what happened in Mass Effect 3. Set after the games.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: *UPDATE* Not much has changed in this chapter. No more review whoring. Yes, I'm excited that I grew up too. I'd still love some though. ;D I hope this satisfies my loyal fans. Enjoy. M For language.

_Oh my god I just want to die._

Rilynn Shepard hadn't thought about wanting to die since she'd returned from the grave, but this was the…what…thirtieth consecutive day of waking up just to race to the bathroom and puke her innards out all over the toilet? It was absolutely horrifying. She felt Garrus' three fingered palm gently rubbing her back and pulling her shoulder length hair out of her face. A very human thought crossed her mind. It made her want to giggle. But that urge died as soon as it began as it just elicited more heaving. She groaned and leaned back against her mate.

"I feel fucking awful Gar." She said rubbing a hand over her sunken in eyes. She felt like her body was bloated and the constant need to pee had her so frustrated that she didn't even want to leave her cabin anymore. Infiltrating the Collector base and keeping everyone alive had been way better than this.

"I'm glad you've finally acknowledged that." Garrus said pulling his mate into his arms. "Because we're going to see Dr. Chakwas right now and you're going to be a good little human and let her poke and prod you until she finds out exactly what the problem is." Shepard tried vainly to pull some semblance of strength from her weak limbs and fight her way out of her lovers embrace. After beating her hands raw on his chest plates and screaming until her voice was hoarse she finally resigned herself to pouting as he carried her bridal style all the way to the med bay. He didn't even set her down in the elevator.

Shepard knew she needed to see the doctor. She just really hated the sterility of the med bay. It reminded her of waking up to find out that two years of her life were missing. She would never really get over that.

"Shepard. Garrus. Is there something I can do for you?" Dr. Chakwas rose from her chair as the pair entered the med bay. She took in Shepard's position in Garrus' arms and gestured to one of the gurneys.

_Who the fuck decided to name them gurneys? What an awful, awful thing to name something._

"Shepard has been waking up sick for about a month now." Garrus said as he set the grumpy commander on the cold steel bed. "I would have brought her earlier, but she insisted that she was fine."

"Well," Dr. Chakwas pressed a few buttons on the display and it whirred to life, "do you have any other symptoms?"

Garrus and Shepard exchanged heated looks before he continued. "She's been really sensitive to the touch…in certain places…more than usual." Garrus' mandibles fluttered in embarrassment and Shepard felt heat creep into her cheeks. If her hands weren't burning already she would have punched him. Dr. Chakwas simply nodded and brought her hand up to her chin in thought.

"I assume you mean erogenous zones, the breasts and vagina?" Shepard dropped her face into her hands and Garrus mumbled something in affirmative. They weren't embarrassed by their relationship, far from it. Shepard had flaunted it often by smacking him on the ass or giving him a lap dance during shore leave, but using those big scary words was almost too much. No matter how professional the situation.

"Commander I'm going to have to examine them. Would you be more comfortable if Garrus left?"

_I'd be more comfortable if I could just lie in my bed like I have been for the last month._

"No." she said entwining her five fingers with his three. He smiled, as much as a Turian could smile, and gently rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. Dr. Chakwas darkened the med bay's windows.

"Lie back, Commander." Dr. Chakwas said pulling on a pair of latex gloves (thankfully not snapping them on her wrists) and gently opening Shepard's black silk robe to 'poke and prod' at her breasts as Garrus had so awfully put it. Shepard flinched and grunted in discomfort every time Chakwas hands touched her. Even the lightest amount of pressure seemed to burn like fire. And not the good kind of fire. The doctor 'hmmmd' to herself and Shepard took it as a bad sign.

_I've got breast cancer or some sort of disease that makes you never be able to have sex again._

Dr. Chakwas closed the top of Shepard's robe and moved down to the lower part. She opened it at the waist and gently pressed against her lower abdomen.

"You're gonna make me pee stop it!" Shepard all but screamed. Dr. Chakwas stared at her for a moment with a look that told Shepard whatever conversation was about to happen was not going to be a fun one.

"Garrus," Dr. Chakwas said turning her stare on the blue faced Turian, "would you get some blankets and pillows from your cabin. And please take the long way." Garrus nodded at the stern look she fed him.

"How much time do you need?" He asked gently removing his hand from Shepard's. She whined in response.

"How about wait until I call you back." Garrus nodded and fed his mate a loving stare before disappearing from sight.

"Okay what the hell do you have to tell me that Garrus can't hear? It's not like I keep secrets from him." Shepard said leaning up on her elbows and glaring at the doctor who blatantly ignored her.

"Officer Lawson." Dr. Chakwas spoke into her omni tool. "I need you in the medical bay. It's urgent." Shepard stared at the worried expression on the doctors' face and rage boiled slowly in her chest.

"What in the hell does Miranda need to be here for? What aren't you telling me, Doctor?" Shepard was worried. For herself and Garrus and whatever the hell was going on.

"I just need to examine you bit more Shepard. I have to be sure before I make any conclusions." The kindness in Dr. Chakwas eyes seemed to help Shepard relax. She nodded and laid back on the gurney. Miranda strode in seconds later her heels clacking on the floor.

"What do you need, Dr. Chakwas?" She said eyeing her commanding officer laid out on a gurney with her robe splayed open the waist. After two years of recreating her she didn't even flinch at the sight.

"I'm going to do an ultrasound. I think you should be here. You rebuilt her after all." Miranda nodded and came to stand next to the doctor as she pulled up a stool and squirted freezing cold jelly onto Shepard's lower abdomen.

_An ultrasound? What in the fu-_

"Agh!" Shepard shrieked. "Jesus! Save the galaxy and no one can even warm the jelly before the squirt it on you. I'll remember this shit." She grumbled. "What the hell do I need an ultrasound for anyway?" Her glare would have turned anyone else on the ship, except maybe Jack, into a steaming puddle of fear, but to Dr. Chakwas and Miranda she could have been blowing bubbles at them for all the affect it had.

Shepard waited patiently for a few seconds as Dr. Chakwas ran the rubber tipped machine over her goo covered abdomen. Two gasps had her staring at the women at break neck speed. They exchanged shocked glances.

"What?" Shepard bellowed angrily. Their gazes turned to her and the lack of answers elicited another angry 'what' from her.

"Commander." Miranda said in a tone that told Shepard that what they were seeing was possibly the most unexpected thing to ever occur. Hell she'd returned from the grave and hadn't received looks like this. "You're…pregnant." Shepard's mind just couldn't grasp that.

"I'm wha? That is not possible. The only person I've been with since Kaiden is Garrus and…"Her next comment was cut off as Dr. Chakwas turned the screen to face her and there was in fact a fetus curled up inside her womb with a very obvious fringe protruding from the back of its head.

"Christ…" She said, unable to interpret what the fuck she was supposed to feel right now. "I'm pregnant…"

A/N: Like I said, not much different from the original version. There will be more changes in later chapters. Reviews are appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: *UPDATE* There won't be many changes in this chapter either, but it still needed some editing. Enjoy. M for language.

Garrus had honestly done his best to waste as much time as he could. He'd ridden up and down the elevator three times now. And that didn't include the initial trip to get bedding. He'd gone up to the bridge to talk to Joker and Kelly and even gone so far as to do some of his beloved calibrating. But he had too much on his mind.

_What was going on with Shepard?_

He had known that he should have tossed her over his shoulder and hauled her ass down to the med bay after the first week, but knowing how she felt about it, he really didn't want to make her uncomfortable. Dammit sometimes he was just too nice. Now he was standing in the mess hall, pillows and blankets piled on one of the tables, as he contemplated what was occurring behind the darkened windows not three feet from him. A sudden thought struck him.

"EDI." He called into the empty air.

"Yes, Officer Vakarian?" Her monotone voice echoed through the room.

"Have your video feeds and microphones been disabled in the medical bay?" He asked. He almost felt bad for disobeying an order. But Chakwas wasn't his commanding officer and he just had to know what was going on in that room.

"They have not, Officer Vakarian." She replied. "If you report to your terminal in the Main Battery I can patch you in." Garrus told her to do so and left the mess hall, and bedding, to do something that was more Kaumi's style.

"I'm ready EDI." He said after pulling up the console. The orange screen played static for a few seconds before the image of Shepard, Chakwas and Miranda, gaping at the monitor of some machine, appeared. He stared at it for a minute trying to decipher what they were so shocked about. He fiddled with the controls a bit before he could finally make out what they were seeing. The image made his heart stop in his chest.

He bolted from the Main Battery so fast that he nearly hit the door before it had a chance to open. He vaguely heard EDI say 'logging you out' before he was at the med bay door and nearly tearing it apart.

_Why the fuck was everything so slow when you were in a rush?_

When the doors finally did open (without Garrus having to destroy them) three shocked women stared at him. His eyes were glued to the screen. To him, everything was in slow motion. In his mind it had taken a week to reach the gurney his mate was laying on. He successfully burned the image of the Turian/Human fetus into his brain forever. When his gaze finally fell on Shepard he felt his stomach do back flips.

_This isn't a dream._

He literally fell to his knees next to her. "Spirits…" He whispered to no one in particular and suddenly wished that he possessed the ability to cry. This was just too much.

_What did this mean for Shepard? What did it mean for the baby?_

"How?" He said finally raising his gaze to the two women who still hadn't managed to blink. They both shook their heads and did that annoying shrug thing. "Well find the fuck out." He ground between clenched teeth and tight mandibles.

"Garrus!" Shepard glared at him. "Is that how you ask for a goddamn favor?" He turned his glare on his mate and he couldn't find a reason to soften his gaze. This was going to end badly. He was going to lose someone. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach. She glared back with equal intensity and the air was so thick you could have cut it and spread it on a slice of toast.

"I…Spirits…fuck." Garrus babbled as he ran his hands angrily over his fringe and turned to stare at the dark windows.

_How the FUCK did this happen?_

"Gar…I thought you would be happy…" The obvious pain in his mate's voice made him want to stab himself in the eye with a scalpel. Instead he turned to stare at her.

"Ri…if the situation were different I would be…" He knew she would understand what he meant and he wasn't surprised when her stare turned hot and then cold.

"You mean if I were a Turian." She said in accusation. His only response was a curt nod. "Well gee, I'm fucking sorry that my parents turned out to be human. I'm sorry that they didn't adopt some adorable Turian baby and then dump her on the fucking street to fend for herself. Excuse the fuck me for falling the fuck in love with you." With that she swung her legs over the side of the gurney, closed her robe and stalked out of the med bay.

"Riley!" Garrus bellowed angrily following closely at her heels. She turned once she was in the elevator laying a hand over one of the doors to keep them open. He was about to say something, anything to make her understand why this was not good news.

"Garrus. You have hurt me more than anyone has ever hurt me in my entire life. You've insulted my race, you've insulted me personally and you've insulted my goddamn baby. If you come up to my cabin tonight I will shoot you in the face and leave your corpse to rot where it lands." With that she stepped back and the elevator doors closed in his face. For the second time that night he wanted to tear something apart. He spent the next few minutes growling, panting and flexing his talons. He wanted to make something bleed.

_Spirits, why did humans not have sparring rings? WHY?_

His gaze fell on the pillows and blankets laying on the table and Turian smirk plastered itself on his face. She might have the mattress, but he was going to be the comfy one. And he wasn't going to risk serious bodily injury to take the damn woman, who had basically just called him a dishonorable asshole, her blankets. She could be chilly for a night. Without further ado he gathered them in his arms and stalked, not unlike his mate had done earlier, to the Main Battery to sleep.

Dr. Chakwas and Miranda were still frozen in place at the revelation that Shepard was pregnant with a Turian. And now everyone seemed to be completely pissed off with each other.

"How did he find out?" Miranda inquired staring at the door to the Main Battery.

"I think I know." Dr. Chakwas said gesturing to the ceiling.

"EDI!" Miranda yelled at the ceiling tiles.

"Yes, Officer Lawson?"

"Why did you let Garrus know what was going on in here?" She said her hands landing on her hips.

"You did not specify whether or not what was occurring in the medical bay was confidential, Officer Lawson." EDI said. Arguing with a monotone AI really wasn't very satisfying.

"EDI from now on, if someone is asked to leave, do not let that person know what's going on." Miranda said rubbing her temples. She was going to need a strong drink after this.

"Logged, Officer Lawson." EDI said and went silent.

"What now?" Miranda said glancing at the doctor.

"We need find out how this happened. And what the dangers are. I believe we will need Dr. Solus' help as well." Miranda nodded in agreement.

"In the morning." She said. Dr. Chakwas agreed.

In the morning they would decide what to do. Tonight they needed to rest. These next few months were going to bring on a whole new kind of trouble.

A/N: Mostly grammatical changes, but still an improvement. Reviews are appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: *UPDATE* Precious little has changed in this chapter. It's still fairly short, but that means I can move on to the more important chapters. :D Enjoy. M for language.

When Shepard awoke the next morning she followed her normal morning ritual of throwing up everything she had thought about eating that previous day. Once she was done she curled up on the cold tile floor and shivered in disgust. She wasn't sure what she found more disgusting the puking or the disasters that had occurred the night before. Everything was supposed to be rainbows and butterflies when shit like this happens.

_Why is it that nothing nice ever happens to me?_

Her gaze fell to the slight bump, that she really should have fucking noticed earlier and she laid a hand on it. A warm feeling spread through her body and small smile appeared on her face.

_I'm pregnant. I'm really pregnant. I'm going to be a mom._

Her smile quickly disappeared when she remembered whose it was and why he wasn't here right now.

"FUCK!" She screamed into the empty air. She pounded her still raw fists on the floor and then laid back, her momentary energy burst spent. "Oh yea its fine Garrus, we don't need condoms. Humans and Turians can't procreate anyway. We have nothing to worry about except allergic reactions and neither of us is allergic to each other. Isn't that convenient?" Shepard pulled herself off the floor and turned the shower on as hot as it would go. "Convenient my ass. Why is it that every time something happens to me there's always a fucking catch? We'll make you a Spectre so you can stop Saren and we can keep our hands clean. We brought you back to life so you can't stop the Collectors from stealing our colonies."

She growled in a very Turian way as the hot spray caused the bathroom to steam. Her hands immediately fell to her 'bump' and she cradled it protectively. Garrus wasn't getting off that easy. He was just as responsible as she was for the situation they were in. She was the one who had to carry the baby, give birth to it and the whole time had to worry about whether or not it would be allergic to her DNA or if she would develop a sensitivity to dextro-DNA and that wasn't counting all the other things she would have had to deal with if she was pregnant with a human.

_Ugh! Fuck me. No wait don't. That's how I got here in the first place._

She rinsed her hair and scrubbed the dried goo off of her stomach and sat in the stall with the intention of waiting until the hot water ran out and then going to lie in her bed the rest of the day. But her life had never really cared what her intentions were. Heavy footfalls, very heavy footfalls, sounded outside the bathroom door and Shepard conjured the most evil glare she could from her tired body and directed it towards the door. When it slid open Grunt stood there looking just as annoyed as she was.

"The doctors sent me to fetch you." He said bluntly. When Shepard didn't move to get up he literally pulled her out of the shower, tossed her robe over her and stood with her in the elevator. She was really getting sick of this being carried around thing. She pushed against Grunt's arms in an attempt to escape his grasp.

"Goddammit Grunt I can fucking walk thank you very much. I'm pregnant not crippled." Grunt set her down, rather gently for a Krogan, and glared at her. She returned his glare as she fastened her robe about her waist. "Why the hell did they send you to get me anyway?" She asked leaning up against the elevator wall.

"I'm the biggest person besides the Turian and you threatened to kill him." He chuckled suddenly and Shepard's glare kicked up from 'I'm really pissed' to 'you're lucky I don't have a gun right now'. "It made me laugh." Her face softened and she felt a chuckle of her own rise in her throat. "You would make a good Krogan, Shepard." She only nodded in assent.

When they reached the third floor Dr. Chakwas, Mordin and Miranda were in the medical bay pouring over something on the console. All three heads looked up at their arrival.

"Shepard," Dr. Chakwas rose from the chair and she gave Shepard an unexpected but welcome hug. It actually felt pretty good to get a hug after everything that had happened in the past few hours. "How are you feeling?" She asked resting her hand gently against Shepard's forehead and then examining the red sides of her hands.

"Like shit. You?" Shepard managed to keep the sneer off her face.

"Shepard, we think we know how your pregnancy was possible." Miranda approached as Dr. Chakwas spread medi gel over the sides of Shepard's hands.

"Magic." Shepard said deadpan. Miranda opted to ignore her foul mood.

"You're cybernetics have altered your body to accommodate your lifestyle. Because of your frequent…sessions with Officer Vakarian you reproductive organs have acclimated to make reproduction possible. It's fascinating really." Shepard kind of wanted to punch her.

"I'm not a science project." She all but growled between clenched teeth. She was momentarily thankful that Miranda didn't remind her that she, technically, was.

"Take a seat Commander." Dr. Chakwas ordered guiding Shepard over to the godforsaken gurney. "We need to check the baby's vitals." Shepard lay on the gurney and Chakwas set about squirting more cold gel onto her and using the ultrasound machine again. After a few moments of staring at the screen she confirmed that 'everything checked out normal'. Except that a human is pregnant with a Turian. That part was less normal.

"Commander." Grunt said from his position leaning against the far wall. "The Turian's coming."

_More good news. _Shepard thought sarcastically.

A/N: Reviews are appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: *UPDATE* Okay a few more changes in this chapter (there's that stupidity I mentioned in my Author's Note) I really wasn't satisfied with how you come to learn about Shepard's transformation. I still think the idea has merit, but it's too…ah…stupid for me. So that will be changing. Probably more grammatical stuff as well. Enjoy. M for language. 

_I am a horrible person._

Garrus awoke completely hating himself.

_I left my pregnant mate to sleep without blankets or pillows._

He wished he'd have at least made an attempt to take them up to her. If she shot him so be it. At least he died with some semblance of honor. He rose from the nest of blankets and pillows and glared at the offending items.

_Today is not going to be a good day._

He left the Main Battery and made himself something quick to eat. He wondered what Shepard was doing.

_Had she gotten sick again this morning? How was the baby? How had this happened?_

He needed answers. His blue gaze fell on the still darkened windows of the medical bay.

_Was she in there now?_

His breakfast was tasteless, guilt weighing heavy on his heart and mind.

_Why had he been such an asshole?_

The image of the baby inside Shepard appeared in his mind. The baby with a fringe. His chest tightened and he felt like he couldn't breathe. His baby. Why couldn't he be happy about that?

_Because it's going to kill her._

He dropped his bony forehead into his palm and growled. This was the most frustrating thing he had ever dealt with. Sidonis couldn't hold a candle to what was happening now.

He finished the rest of his breakfast thinking about all the different ways he was going to have to apologize to his mate before she would stop wanting to blow his face off. He imagined there would be a lot of begging on his knees. He smirked in spite of his foul mood. He waited a few more minutes silently thinking of what he was going to do. The first step was checking up on her. He rose from his chair and made his way to the med bay.

Shepard was laying on the same Gurney as before. Her eyes were focused on the monitor and the tiny baby growing inside her. A tender smile graced her face. He felt a similar one forming on his.

"Garrus." Dr. Chakwas said, he forced himself to meet her gaze. It was a concerned one.

"How is everything?" he asked.

"She's making good progress and all of the baby's vitals are good. Unfortunately we have no idea how long this pregnancy will last. Already, it's far more developed than a human fetus would be at this point." Dr. Chakwas motioned Miranda over. "We also think we know why this is possible." Garrus listened intently as the two women explained about Shepard's cybernetics. His mind turned to the Krogan as his gaze fell on Grunt. If word got out how many Krogan females would be breaking down Cerberus' door to get cybernetic implants?

"Could you all give us a minute?" Garrus said interrupting whatever Miranda was about to say. She looked perturbed, but Chakwas shooed her out.

There was a long moment of silence before Garrus approached his mate. She was holding the ultrasound machine to her stomach staring at the monitor. "Some people would call you obsessed." He said lightly standing by the gurney, but not touching her.

"Some people don't call me anything." She replied in a voice that could have cut him had he been as soft skinned as she.

_Thank you evolution._

"Riley," he said gently, "I'm sorry." He ran a talon down her side and paused before reaching around to cup her bump. A surge of pride went through him at the feeling. That was his baby. He ignored the more realistic side of his brain that told him that was exactly what the problem was. He could be happy for her.

She smiled. "Gar." Garrus nuzzled her neck, inhaling her scent and ran his thumb over her bump. He lifted his face from her hair to press his forehead to hers, his gaze trained on her face.

"I am happy, Shepard, but I'm also completely terrified. I don't want to lose either of you." Garrus said lacing their fingers.

"I know Garrus. I'm scared too, but," she rubbed her belly tenderly, "this is a miracle and I want to try and be happy about it. I never thought I would get to be a mom." A tear slid down her cheek as she spoke and Garrus again wished that he could follow suit. They sat like that for a while in silence.

"Ahem." The couple turned their gazes on Mordin. "Sorry to interrupt tender moment. Strange readings in blood work. DNA may be alerting."

Shepard's dumbfounded 'huh' was followed closely by Garrus' 'what does that mean'.

Mordin held his hands up. "Please, will need to do more tests. Situation unique. Unsure of implications."

"Uhm...alright. What tests?" Shepard said sitting up on the gurney and closing her robe. There was something a little awkward about having a conversation in the proverbial stirrups.

"More blood work. Need to compare DNA now to previous. Require patience. Stay in Med Bay until diagnoses reached, my medical recommendation." Mordin nodded.

"I'll get the blankets." Garrus said releasing his mate. Once he was gone Shepard turned to Mordin.

"Be straight with me Mordin. What do you think this means?"

"Believe DNA is altering to accommodate fetus. In layman's terms, you will become like a Turian." Mordin said. Shepard stared at him.

"Expect physical changes in appearance." He said trying to dumb it down more.

"Are…are you saying I'm going to look like a Turian? Become a Turian?" Shepard asked her mind trying its hardest to understand what the fuck the Salarian was saying.

"Not become a Turian. Full species crossover unnecessary to carry fetus. Still half human. But changes none the less." Mordin paced slightly as he spoke.

"I think I'm going to have an aneurism." Shepard said rubbing her temples.

"Do not recommend. Could be dangerous for fetus, life threatening." Mordin said, completely serious.

"I'll keep that in mind."

A/N: Ahhh…much better. Well I'm satisfied with that. Let me know what you think. Reviews are appreciated.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: *UPDATE*More changes here as well. I wanted to go into more detail about the pregnancy. After having my own son I realized how much I had skipped over and I want to include more of the exciting discoveries. Enjoy. M for language and sexual content.

Garrus' mind reeled as Mordin explained to him about Shepard's expected transformation. After a few hours of blood work, diagnostics and humming he confirmed his suspicions. Her skin already had a gray pallor.

He was still terrified. There were so many things that could go wrong. So many variables. This was something that shouldn't be possible. First the pregnancy and now she was transforming. There were so many 'what ifs' running through his mind that he couldn't keep track of them all. But what troubled him the most were the survival odds.

Garrus shuddered. If she died he would follow soon after. He'd lost her once and it had torn him apart. And that was before they became mates. Losing her again would mean the end.

His thoughts returned to the baby and his stomach tightened at the thought of losing it. He remembered the Asari on Illium who had lost both her daughters. Then to Vasir and what she'd said about children losing parents. His gaze fell on Shepard and the arm cradling their unborn child. If the baby died she would lose herself in the grief. She would feel like a failure. Garrus doubted she would ever be the same again. There are some wounds time can't heal.

He shook himself and tucked a blanket around his slumbering mate before heading off to the Main Battery for some much needed calibrating.

Shepard was sleeping again. She'd taken to napping two or three times a day for an hour or so. The rest of her time was spent eating some of the most disgusting concoctions of food Garrus had ever witnessed and doing as much physical training as Dr. Chakwas would allow.

Garrus stroked her very prominent cheek bone. He could feel the outline of a mandible if he pressed hard enough. Her skin had turned a darker shade of gray, nearly matching his own, and her teeth had sharpened. She was constantly biting her tongue and cheeks which always rewarded Garrus with a pointed glare and sometimes a growl. She stirred from her nap and a smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. This was her favorite way to wake up.

Garrus continued his exploration of her face. He trailed his talons over her temple and into her hair. It had flared back to resemble a fringe in a way that Garrus found extremely sexy. Shepard had been completely repulsed at first. She had even threatened to have Jack shave it all off until she glimpsed the twinkle in Garrus' eyes when he caught sight of it. She had mumbled something about needing excessive amounts of hair gel and then waddled to the Mess Hall for something called nachos, topped with pickles and some type of fruit syrup. Which she accompanied with a dextro drink. Garrus chuckled at the memory. Even Grunt had been revolted by her 'meal'.

Garrus pulled his mate close and let his hand rest on her now swollen belly. The doctors said she only had about two months before the baby would come. Everyone was excited…and anxious.

Shepard grunted as the baby kicked and Garrus felt his heart leap. Every movement was a sign of health and though Shepard might appreciate a little less of it, Garrus' fears were slowly ebbing away.

"He's an active one." Garrus said rubbing her stomach gently.

"How do you know it's a 'he'?" Shepard replied shifting to try and find a more comfortable position on her side.

"I don't, but the idea of something that will wear frills and play with dolls coming out of you is too ridiculous for me to consider." Shepard chuckled lightly.

"Believe it or not, Officer Vakarian, I once wore frills and played with dolls."

"Really? I think I'd pay to see that."

"Bless the gods that those pictures are long gone." Shepard pulled the pillow out from under her head and stuffed it between her knees, letting her head rest on Garrus' arm. "Shit I'm ready for this baby to be here."

"Well...why don't we buy some things for it?" Garrus asked pulling them both up so she was sitting between his legs.

"Really?" Shepard turned to stare at him for a moment. Neither of them were successful shoppers.

"Yea. We can get a crib and a little bathtub and some toys…"

"And adorable little baby clothes and shoes." Garrus gaped at his mate for a moment, completely caught off guard by the tone in her voice. 'Adorable' was a not a word the Commander used often.

"Yes, those too." He finally replied.

"Well let's go!" Shepard jumped off the bed so quick that she had to catch herself or risk tumbling forward.

Garrus and Shepard meandered through the various shops on the Citadel, Shepard doing her best to hide her condition with a bulky jacket and more makeup than Garrus had ever seen. It seemed to be doing the trick. No one stared for too long.

"Let's go in here, Garrus." Shepard said pulling him towards a store with windows full of baby paraphernalia.

"I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favorite store on the Citadel." The intercom chimed when they stepped in.

"Are you clairvoyant as well as a good shot?" Garrus asked smirking as Shepard examined a little white dress with pink flowers on it.

"Shove it, Vakarian."

Garrus held up his hands in surrender before browsing the stores collection of lullabies. He chose a couple of classic turian ones and dropped them in a nearby shopping basket. A familiar voice led him towards to cashier where he found Tali chatting with the Asari about something she had just purchased.

"Oh! Garrus, what are you doing here?" Tali did her best to hide her shopping bag behind her.

"You know how I like dropping into random shops and picking up women. It's the strangest thing; I've always found that the ladies in baby stores are either pregnant or desperate. Which are you?" Garrus said leaning against the counter nonchalantly. He caught sight of Shepard, her basket nearly filled with random bits of baby related items and he smiled.

"You know why I'm here, Garrus." Tali said, her embarrassment at being caught forgotten.

"Indeed." He turned his gaze on the quarian. "Get anything good?"

"Yes and you don't get to see it until the baby shower." He could almost see her sticking her tongue out at him behind her faceplate.

"Fine, fine. But if you don't want to be interrogated you might want to scram before she sees you." Garrus cocked his head toward his approaching mate as he spoke and watched as Tali high tailed it onto the Presidium.

"Was that Tali?" Shepard asked setting her basket of goodies on the counter.

"Yea, but she wouldn't tell me what she got." Garrus picked through the items at random, pausing when he pulled out the dress from earlier. "You know when we find out that it's a boy you're going to have to return all of this right?"

"And when we find out it's a girl you're going to have to accept it." Shepard replied smiling at the cashier as she rang their items up.

Once all of their purchases were finished Garrus and Shepard returned to the Normandy, their arms laden with bags. They'd just made it through the airlock when Kelly approached bouncing on her toes in excitement.

"Commander, Garrus, your presence is requested in the Mess Hall immediately." She said before scampering off towards the elevator.

"The hell is that about?" Shepard asked glancing at him.

"Not sure." They set their bags aside and set off for the elevator as well.

When they arrived on the Crew Deck it was eerily quiet. Shepard glanced at Garrus, noting the smug smile on his face, before following him out and around to the Mess.

"Congratulations!" Multiple voices yelled when Shepard finally managed to waddle her way around the elevator. Her eyes widened and she laughed.

"You knew about this didn't you?" She gave Garrus a pointed look.

"Me? No of course not. I'm not the party type." He replied kissing the back of her hand before releasing her into the clutches of Tali and Kelly.

Garrus spent the majority of his time on the outskirts of the party, watching as Shepard mingled with her crew. The women were naturally more excited than the men, but everyone expressed their delight. Even Thane materialized out of the shadows long enough to congratulate Garrus before disappearing once more.

"Hey babe." Shepard smiled as she slid up beside him holding a paper plate piled high with hors d'oeuvres.

"Having fun?" Garrus asked scooping up a bit of gray jelly with a plastic spoon.

"Loads. You know how much I love crowds, attention and the lack of personal space." Shepard grabbed a chocolate chip brownie off the plate and ate in one bite. Garrus chuckled a little, wiping chocolate from the corners of her mouth. Shepard's tongue snuck out wiping his talon clean.

"Be careful, love. You might go into premature labor if you keep that up." Garrus said his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Maybe that's a chance I'm willing to take." Shepard winked at him before sauntering off to socialize with her guests. Garrus smirked, his eyes following her hips the whole way.

A/N: I hope that makes up for how short the previous chapter was. Reviews are appreciated.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: *UPDATE* I did a lot of adding and condensing in this chapter. The story is still the same though. Enjoy. M for language.

Shepard rolled over and Garrus pulled her to him gently. Her belly was swollen to its limits by now and Garrus pressed his palm against it. Soon. Soon he would be a father. He met her eyes and saw his hopes reflected in them. As well as his fears.

She laid her hand atop his. Garrus gazed at their now similar appendages. Her skin had toughened up over the past couple of months. She even had some rather plate like growths on her biceps and forearms. And each of her fingers ended in a sharp talon. It was a very odd situation for him. He kind of liked this new, more Turian-esque Shepard, but he still preferred his soft, fragile mate more.

"Ugh." She groaned. Garrus smiled at the double tone. "I gotta pee again." She said rolling back on her side and attempting sit up. Garrus rose to help her when she gasped suddenly and both of her taloned hands wrapped around her stomach. "Oh god…"

"What? What is it?" Garrus was immediately kneeling in front of her his hands hovering over hers, desperately needing to aid in any way he could. Her face was frozen in shock and disbelief. Garrus followed her gaze to the growing stain on the sheets.

"My water…" She croaked and Garrus had her in his arms before the last syllable was out of her mouth. He ran out the cabin door and past the ever present Grunt who followed him into the elevator without question. Shepard screamed as a contraction tore through her.

_Goddammit I've died. I can give birth to this fucking baby._

Another spike of pain tore through her most sensitive regions and she screamed again barely hearing Garrus' roar as he called for the doctors and Miranda. Suddenly she was laying on the now familiar gurney with four people standing over her. Dr. Chakwas was the first one to speak.

"Miranda, get some blankets. Mordin, monitor Shepard's vitals. Grunt, get Garrus the hell out of here. Let's deliver this baby."

Garrus could hear her screaming. And it was driving him insane. He should be in there doing…something to help her. Not stuck out here with Grunt. He glared at the Krogan who leaned against the locked med bay door. Grunt simply stared back. It just made him angrier. Another scream had him staring at the darkened windows of the med bay again. He needed to be in there. His fists clenched of their own accord and he took a step towards the door.

"I wouldn't do that, Turian." Grunt said standing straight and uncrossing his arms. Garrus growled and took another couple of steps.

"I won't warn you again." Grunt said with narrowed eyes. Garrus roared and lunged. Grunt smirked and braced his arms to catch the enraged Turian. They fell to the floor in a pile of armor and plates.

"Heart rate increasing. Breathing erratic. Chance of cardiac arrest increasing. Need to get this over with quickly." Mordin said pressing several buttons on Shepard's monitoring system.

Shepard panted, tears falling down her face and sweat pouring off her body. She screamed as another contraction shot through her. Suffocating in space had been less painful than this. She wanted Garrus to be here. She needed to hear his voice telling her that everything would work out.

"Garrus…" She said between sobs. She reached her arms out searching for him. Two five-fingered hands placed them by her sides.

"Relax, Commander." Miranda said above her. Shepard nodded vaguely and laid her arms by her sides. She wished again that Garrus was here. Another contraction rocked her body and she faintly heard Dr. Chakwas voice through her haze of pain.

"Mordin, the baby's fringe."

"Yes. Have considered this. Humans much softer than turians. Will have to perform cesarean."

"No." Shepard wailed. "Don't cut me open! Please!"

"Commander, if you try to have the baby naturally there's a high risk that one or both of you will suffer serious injuries." Dr. Chakwas said holding Shepard's face in her hands. Shepard didn't have a choice but to accept. She would just have to trust them.

"Don't put me under. I want to be awake." Dr. Chakwas nodded.

The next few minutes were spent prepping everyone for surgery. Shepard was doped up with more painkillers than she thought was safe, Miranda arranged a blinder over her chest so she couldn't see the operation, Mordin set up the laser system that would be used to make the necessary and incisions and Dr. Chakwas got a bassinet and some blankets set up. All the while Shepard kept herself as quiet and still as she could as her contractions continued.

"Okay Commander, we're ready to begin. If you feel any discomfort let us know." Shepard was caught off guard by the concern in Miranda's voice. The ice-queen wasn't usually so kind. But in the current situation Shepard didn't have the time or energy to argue. She simply nodded.

"Making first incision." Mordin said somewhere out of Shepard's vision.

Grunt tossed Garrus onto one of the tables in the mess hall. The Turian groaned and rolled off cradling his side. That was going to leave a nice bruise.

"Come on you Turian scum!" Grunt yelled knocking his fists together. "Make this a battle worth winning!" Garrus growled and stood, his hands again balled into fists. Grunt charged and Garrus side stepped, his fist connecting with the Krogan's temple. Grunt fell to his knees holding his head in his hands. Garrus hooked his talons into Grunt's armor and dragged him across the Mess Hall, throwing him against the kitchen wall. Grunt coughed and spat in Garrus' face. The turian wiped the bloody saliva from his scarred face and growled menacingly.

He pulled his fist back and was about to release a savage punch to Grunt's face when a small cry caused both aliens to freeze. The cry of a baby. Garrus released Grunt and was at the med bay door before the Krogan had pulled himself up from the floor. His still clenched fist collided with the door lock and it shattered causing the door the fly open.

The scent of Shepard's blood assaulted his nose and he felt his rage boil in his fear for her. His gaze fell on Shepard where she lay sprawled on the gurney with Mordin directing a laser across her stomach, sealing the incisions. Her breathing was heavy and her eyes were barely open. He was at her side in an instant brushing a sweat soaked strand of hair out of her face.

"Gar…" She said absently running her hand over his hip. He smiled reassuringly at her and then turned his attention the bundle in Dr. Chakwas arms.

"It's a boy." She said with a massive smile on her face. She handed the bundle to him and Garrus fumbled for a moment fearful that his talons might harm his newborn son. Spirits…his newborn son. His blue gaze met the blue-green eyes of his child.

His skin was a light pink tinged in gray between the darker colored plates. His face heavily resembled a Turian complete with a pair of mandibles and a short fringe. A small ridge rose from his shoulders and wrapped around his collar bones leaving an inch wide space in the middle that dipped down like a humans. Each of his five fingers ended in a sharp talon that clenched and unclenched at random. His hips were shaped like a humans, but his legs and feet were Turian-esque with a small knob where his leg spurs would be. Overall he was more angular than a human but more filled out than a Turian. And he was beautiful.

"Dammit, Garrus. I just went through all of the trouble to bring him into this world. The least you could do is let me see him." Garrus knelt next to her and they cradled their new baby together. A stray tear ran down her cheek as she stared at her son with a look that could only be defined as adoration.

"He's pinker than I thought he would be." Shepard said stroking her son's fringe. He let out a purr and his eyes flew open drinking in the image of his parents. His mouth opened wide showing toothless pink gums and his arms reached out towards Shepard. Garrus handed him over and watched silently as Shepard did something very un-Shepard like. She cooed at the baby in her arms.

Garrus wasn't about to kid himself. They weren't in the clear yet. Far from it if he was really honest with himself. But right now he could push all of those thoughts out of his mind. As he looked at his mate and their son he felt that fire in his chest spread to the far reaches of his being. As long as he had his mate and his son at his side he could take whatever the galaxy could throw at him. His eyes met Shepard's and his thoughts reflected back to him. His mandibles flared in a smile and he gently stroked Shepard's cheek.

As long as he had his family he had something to fight for.

A/N: Reviews are appreciated.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: *UPDATE* Just a few minor grammatical changes here. Enjoy.

For five years they'd kept their son a secret. The crew of the Normandy knew of course. They had all been present during Shepard's pregnancy and birth. Any thoughts they may have had about leaking it to the press were quickly suppressed by Shepard.

"If you endanger my family I will endanger yours." Dr. Chakwas had finally let her leave the med bay after a week of recuperating. Most of Shepard's Turian like appearance had diminished to slight things that only someone who saw her naked on a regular basis would really know about. The entire crew had assembled in the mess hall and she stood there in a bathrobe with her week old son in her arms and her mate at her side telling them just long it would take a loved one to die if they so much as thought about the things that had happened recently.

For five years their son, Novie, spent the vast majority of his time on the Normandy under the constant supervision of at least one of his parents and Grunt. The Krogan had become quite attached to his battle master's offspring to the point where Shepard officially named him Novie's body guard. If Novie was nowhere to be found all one had to do was find Grunt and Novie would be at his side. Usually learning about things mothers generally don't want their five-year-olds learning about. Like the easiest way to skin a Turian, if such a thing were possible, or where to shoot an Asari or Human to really make it hurt.

For five years they had lived in relative peace and kept their son safe from the fanatics. But this morning they would have to kiss those five years good fucking bye.

"Commander there is an incoming transmission from the Council." EDI's voice woke the slumbering family. Shepard huffed and got up to throw her casual uniform on and make herself presentable. Garrus gathered his drowsy son into his arms and took him into the bathroom where no one would be able to see them.

"Patch through to my quarters EDI." Shepard said leaning on the corner of her desk. The four council members appeared before her looking less than pleased.

"Commander Shepard." Anderson greeted nodding to her with his arms clasped behind his back.

"Council members." Shepard responded nodding to each in turn. Her gaze lingered on the Turian councilor who had a rather disgusted looked on his face.

_This is promising to be a lovely conversation._

"We have received some news…" Anderson said looking worried. Shepard raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue. "Your relationship with Garrus Vakarian is public knowledge as we all know." This earned a scoff from the Turian councilor. Shepard decided to ignore him

_At least I don't need a mistress because my mate doesn't want to touch me._

"Please explain to me why you had to call me to tell me something I already know." Shepard ran a hand over her face and shook her head trying to ward the grogginess off.

"Do you have a child Commander?" The Turian councilor suddenly spoke up and Shepard's heart jumped in her chest. She kept her face carefully blank, but couldn't think of anything to say. "Do I need to repeat myself?" He asked after a few moments of silence.

"Is that any of your concern?" She asked her eyes narrowing and her jaw clenching.

"If you do, as we are led to believe, then it may be Commander." The Asari councilor spoke up and Shepard tried to reign in her anger. She failed miserably.

"My personal life is none of your goddamned business! I don't wake you up to ask a bunch of inappropriate questions!" Something shuffled behind Shepard and she turned slightly to see Novie in the bathroom door staring at her and Garrus trying to pull him back out of the view of the council. It was too late.

"By the Spirits!"

"Goddess!"

"Mary mother of God!"

Shepard felt her heart drop into her stomach at the council's reactions to seeing her son. She wondered faintly why the Salarian councilor hadn't said anything. She imagined he was having a heart attack. Wasn't he getting up in years?

"So it's true." The Turian councilor said accusingly. Shepard fixed a glare on Garrus who fed her an apologetic look. She reached a hand out to her dumbfounded son. He entwined his fingers in hers and stood as tall as he could in effort to get a good eyeful on the shocked and slightly repulsed individuals before him. Shepard was almost disappointed to find the Salarian councilor standing upright if not looking a bit paler than usual.

"Shepard…" Anderson said sounding completely exhausted, "we need you to come to the Citadel immediately. Bring your…family." He fixed her with a look that spoke of unpleasant things to come. She simply nodded and ended the connection.

Novie gazed at his mother with a curious glint in his eyes, his mouth forming a little 'o'. "I did sumthin' baaaad." He said as he suddenly became very interested in his feet. Shepard knelt in front of her son.

"No, honey. You didn't do anything wrong. There's just no one else like you in the galaxy and the council is very concerned about the effects that will have." She gently stroked his small pink mandible. He stared at her, his blue-green eyes telling her that he knew that wasn't the whole story.

"I love you Mommy." He said throwing his arms around her neck suddenly and pulling her close. "I know you and Daddy will keep me safe no matter what." Shepard felt tears prick the corners of her eyes as she held him close to her chest. Her eyes fell on Garrus and both of their gazes hardened. They would do anything to protect their child. Morals and laws be dammed.

"I'll tell Grunt." Garrus said turning towards the door. Shepard nodded and pulled away from her son.

"Listen to me, Novie." He stared at her with wide eyes. "No matter what happens on the Citadel you stay with Grunt. Don't leave his side no matter what's happening." Novie nodded and Shepard helped him dress in a long coat that would cover his waist with a hood.

"Mommy…are people going to try and hurt me?" He asked as Shepard fastened the jacket under his chin. She paused.

"I don't know baby. But if someone tries, me, Daddy or Grunt will beat the living shit out of them." Novie giggled. It sounded like music to Shepard.

"I know you will Mommy." His mandibles twitched slightly as his mouth tried to stretch into a smile.

"Go find Daddy and Grunt." Shepard said popping him once on the rear. He laughed and ran to the elevator. Shepard quickly donned her armor and loaded her pistol. She rubbed the cold steel affectionately. "Don't let me down today." She said holstering it and heading towards the elevator.

A/N: Well that completes my update of the first part. Reviews are appreciated.


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